Music To His Ears
by Kuriko-love
Summary: [AU] Nanase Haruka is a talented but unknown violinist who needs a push to get his music out there and sold. When a famous pianist discovers him, Haru's not sure if it's what he really wanted. [MakoxHaru] [Rating T for now - may change to M!] [Hinted ReiGisa and RinTori]
1. Beginnings

**This is obviously an AU, for starters! Short for what I was hoping the introduction chapter to be, but rest assured the ones to come will be a bit more than this. Anyway. ****This idea has been mulling over in my brain for a while now, and I finally got the motivation to do something about it, while at work, haha. So here's the summary. The rating is T for now, but may go up to M in the later chapters, I'm not too sure yet (I've only got chapters 1 to 5 planned out).**

**Summary:** Nanase Haruka is a talented but unknown violinist who needs a push to get his music out there and sold. When a famous pianist discovers him, Haru's not sure if it's what he really wanted.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Free! or anything to do with it, sadly.

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**Music To His Ears**

**Chapter 1 – Beginnings**

Nanase Haruka's apartment was small. One bedroom, a bathroom only just big enough for a tub, a tiny kitchen, and a general living area that was only just big enough to fit a table and television in. In fact, one could even say it was tiny. The raven-haired male had never been able to afford anything better, and was more than happy to spend the rest of his life this way. The neighbours were noisy with their music on the weekends, but Haru could never find himself to care much. He himself created a lot of noise when he wanted to, and that was when the male lost himself to playing the violin. Said instrument was currently laid on the bed next to its bow – which desperately needed re-hairing – as its owner drummed his fingers on his desk, staring out of the medium-sized window at the cityscape.

As of late, Haru had found it hard to find any inspiration for music at all. The last few days he had come to the depressing conclusion that he had just ran out of ideas. Nothing seemed interesting. They were just frivolous, fleeting moments that held no value. Not even the way a small, common bird was hopping around on the narrow window ledge, pecking at the somewhat dirty glass every now and then, probably wondering why the giant inside was staring down at it with lidded, tired eyes, could give him a spark of inspiration.

He had originally thought that by the time he was 24, he would be settled down with a well-paid job, probably with some girl - or guy, he wasn't exactly picky - and got his life on track. That, however, hadn't really gone to plan. Once Haru graduated high-school, he had found no interest in University and, with a little help from a friend, managed to rent a place in the city, a part-time job soon following. His hobby and love of playing the violin didn't waver, and Haru spent many hours of the day writing, recording, and listening, though the CD's only ended up in piles on the floor. Which, of course, when he caved in to Nagisa and got a kitten, always got knocked over much to the raven's annoyance. By now he had just decided to shove the discs into a previously empty drawer, away from the feline's swishing tail.

Haru sighed as the bird spread its wings and flew away, wobbling a little in the air as the wind threatened to blow it off course. His eyes took on an unfocussed look as the male zoned out, the scene before him turning a little blurry.

A phone buzzing in his pocket pulled Haru out of his daydream, the attempt of finding inspiration failing for the umpteenth time that day. He pulled it out and groaned. Of course, a text from his childhood friend, Nagisa.

[From: Hazuki Nagisa] : Haru-chan, Haru-chan! Someone's sick at work and we need you really bad! Can you pleasepleaseplease come in? Thank youuu!

_'As always,' _Haru thought as he slid his phone shut and pushed his body up off the uncomfortable plastic chair. He made a note to buy a new one with his next pay check, and changed into his uniform. The clothes were simple; black trousers, white shirt, and nothing else. Though to make it a bit more cosy, Haru always made a point to where his favourite light blue hoody over the top. It annoyed the manager, but the raven couldn't care less as long as he kept his job. He quickly made sure his kitten, Kimi, had been fed, before shuffling over to the to the door. Grabbing his keys and phone, he made his way out, forgetting that he had left his precious, 60 year old violin on the bed. It didn't matter; the area he made his home in had a low rate of crime, apparently.

A quick jog later and Haru was at the small but popular bakery, slightly out of breath. Nagisa cheered and glomped his friend as soon as he walked in, which had Haru grumbling and gently pushing the hyperactive blond away.

"You're heavy," Haru protested as Nagisa went in for another too-tight hug.

"Aw, c'mon! Aren't ya happy to see me?" the shorter male chimed in a sing-song voice, earning a grunt from Haru. He walked into the back room, noting the usual disapproving stare he received from the manager, and pulled his navy coloured apron on before heading back out and standing in front of the till. It didn't seem like the place was all that busy, his fingers tapping on the counter as another customer strolled in. Not much taller than Haru, blue hair, red glasses, looking like he had something stuck up his butt. The raven had to hold back a snort as his mind made that comment, but on the outside his expression remained blank as usual.

"Ahem." The blue-haired male cleared his throat, and Haru looked up at him, an eyebrow raised ever so slightly. "I-I'd lik-"

"Rei-chaaaan!" Haru winced as a blur of blond zoomed past him and flew into the customer, almost knocking the pair of them down. Slender arms wrapped around the male with glasses, despite his efforts to get Nagisa off him.

"N-Nagisa! Get off me!" the male squeaked. Another suppressed snort from Haru. The blond in question eventually released 'Rei-chan' and giggled, earning a blush from the taller male.

"But Rei-chan's so fun to tease!" Nagisa fought back, and Haru could sense the evil intentions behind those words. Deep blue eyes glanced back to 'Rei-chan' as said male turned an even darker shade of crimson. It took him many minutes to finally calm down, and Nagisa skipped off to greet some more customers, before his gaze focused back on the till, staring at the blank screen.

"Ahem." Haru resisted the urge to roll his eyes and glared up at the bespectacled man.

"... Yes?"

"I'd like to place some orders if it's not too much trouble," was the response and with a huff, Haru reached under the counter and retrieved a thick black folder, and proceeded to open it up at the page he knew was the last used. Listening to the blue-haired man, Haru quickly jotted down the information provided and forced a fake smile as he left, but not without stuttering a goodbye to Nagisa. Only then did Haru roll his eyes.

_'Weirdo,'_ he thought.

The four hour shift felt like an eternity for Haru, and when it ended, he never felt like he would enjoy the cold autumn breeze as much as he did then. It ruffled his jet black hair up, making it stick up in awkward directions, and he took a deep breath of the fresh, crisp air before sighing. As much as he hated having to socialise with strangers – or people in general – it kept a roof over his head and food on the table. Haru couldn't really complain even if he wanted to. It wasn't like his parents would lend him any financial aid, as they left him years ago, moving away as they found better jobs.

Those thoughts were soon blown away as Haru slowly walked through the large park that separated his apartment and workplace, watching as groups of teenagers drank alcohol and smoked God-knows-what. Nose wrinkling in slight disgust, Haru quickened his pace, and was soon back in the cosy confines of his home. An idea coming to mind, he snatched up his violin and shoved it, albeit gently, back into its case along with the bow.

The raven was at his door again when his stomach gave out a loud growl, demanding food before it would force Haru to start chewing on his arm or something. Kimi had also decided to begin to mewl loudly, and Haru rolled his eyes.

"Later," he muttered to his own body, ignoring the twinge of discomfort his hunger brought on, and yanked the door open. Kimi let out an almost growl of disapproval, but nevertheless Haru kicked the door shut with his foot and began to head downstairs. The male couldn't remember if he had locked it or not, but again, it didn't really matter to him. Apart from his violin, there wasn't really anything valuable inside his apartment anyway.

The cool breeze brought goosebumps to Haru's lower arms – he had rolled the sleeves of his hoody up for work – but he didn't make a point to pull the fabric back down so his skin was covered completely. Seeing his breath form in front of him in smoky wisps, Haru paused for a brief moment to let his gaze drift up to the partly cloudy sky. It had turned out to be a rather peaceful night, even if the air had a chill to it, and Haru's eyes trailed a plane above, only just visible with its flashing lights. Haru allowed himself a tiny smile – it was things like this that gave him inspiration in the past. Little things that nature would provide, whether it be a bird singing its tune at the crack of dawn, or the crickets buzzing in the summer nights. His expression saddening ever so slightly, Haru began to walk again, realising that none of that really helped any more. He could write music, but to him there was no life to it. No emotion. Nagisa always insisted that Haru's music was perfectly fine and that he should show it to some producer, but the raven refused, his self-confidence only sinking lower.

As he re-entered the park, it seemed the bunch of idiotic teenagers from before had vanished, so Haru perched himself on the small wall of the fountain in the centre; his usual place for playing in the dead of night. After getting his violin back out, the male closed his eyes, letting nature's own song ring in his ears.

With an intake of breath which he then held, Haru brought the instrument up to his chin, hesitated for a moment, and began to play. He had picked one of his earlier tunes; slow, with a sound that just seemed to fit the darkness that surrounded him, only broken by the odd street lamp every now and then. The dim light reflected slightly off the polished wood of the violin as he played, eventually forgetting the world around him.

When playing like that, Haru always felt like he was floating, as if he were free from all the restraints the modern world held him down with. It was that type of freedom that the raven always craved, but never received. His ego shot, Haru had eventually given up.

But right then, Haru couldn't care. His life wasn't the easiest, but he was able to get by. The tune he was playing came to its peak; his favourite part. Moving up to the thinnest and highest string, Haru added in a few little trills here and there to change it up a bit, the corner of his lips tugging upwards in a tiny smile.

As the saying went, all things must come to an end, and with a slightly aching left hand, Haru brought the tune to its end, doing a bit of vibrato on the last, long note, before letting out the breath he hadn't realise he'd been holding. The violin slipped off his shoulder and he rested it on his lap, content with sitting in his spot for a while longer despite the cold seeping into his body's core. A twig snapped somewhere nearby but it didn't frighten Haru one bit.

That was, until he heard a soft voice.

"That was amazing." Haru jumped, almost dropping his violin as his head spun around to meet the source of the voice. Brilliant green eyes, fluffy brown hair, and to top that a gentle expression that was sure to melt anyone into a puddle of mush on the floor.

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**So, uh, I hope you enjoyed that, re-reading it makes me cringe but whatever. Read and review, yes please? :)**

**Til next chapter~**


	2. A New Friendship

**A/N: Uhhh, I couldn't stop writing. This chapter, haha. I feel for you, Haru. Nagisa's a little shit. Kimi's a little shit. And Makoto is just.. Makoto.**

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**Chapter 2 – A New Friendship**

Laughter filled the chilly air as Haru attempted to regain his cool composure. A light touch of pink crept up onto the raven's usually pale cheeks as he pursed his lips together in a pout and looked away; his usual reaction to being embarrassed. After what felt like an eternity, the gentle chuckling stopped and Haru heard a few quiet footsteps on the slightly damp grass, knowing that the tall male was coming closer.

"Ah, I'm sorry," the man said, smiling as Haru let his gaze slide over to meet the captivating green. Before he knew it, he was lost in those eyes, sinking, drowning, in the emerald orbs. It was only when the man blinked that Haru managed to pull himself back to reality. He huffed, eyes darting away to prevent him from being caught, earning another bubble of laughter.

"I heard you playing and couldn't help but listen, I'm sorry for intruding." Haru couldn't help but think that the male's voice was familiar, in a way. Gentle, caring, the perfect tone to fit a perfect body- wait, stop right there. Haru quickly rid his mind of those thoughts, and shrugged one shoulder.

"S'fine," he mumbled, still attempting to hide his tiny blush with his fringe, but the black hair barely did a good job of that.

"I hope it's not too much but... can you play it again?"

Haru's gaze instantly shot back to meet that same green, this time it was full of a kind of excitement, anticipation almost. He forced back a snort, before his eyes fell to the violin still on his lap, fingers still tightly gripping the neck from the jolt his body did earlier. It took a few minutes for the male to make a decision, but eventually, he nodded slowly, and brought the instrument back up to his chin.

After taking in a deep breath, Haru let the bow rest on the strings ever so lightly, before beginning to play the tune again. It felt odd, knowing that someone was watching him play, but it wasn't exactly a bad feeling, either. Stealing a glance at the strange brunet, Haru's eyes widened. The male was swaying from side to side a little, eyes closed as he listened. Before the annoying blush could return, Haru tore his eyes away, forcing them to stay glued to his fingers on the strings, watching them fly from string to string, a multitude of notes emanating from the instrument as he continued to play.

A minute or so later and Haru had his eyes closed, once again lost to the music. But something brought him back, eyelashes fluttering as his eyes opened again. He could hear a voice. Not your usual speaking tone. No, someone was singing, or at least humming. His performance stopped, and he turned to the source of the noise. The man immediately stopped and rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed.

"S-Sorry, I got carried away there, huh," he stammered, and Haru narrowed his eyes. That sing-song voice was so familiar, yet Haru still couldn't put a name to it.

"Who are you?" the raven asked simply. The brunet in front of him blinked a few times in disbelief. Was Haru meant to know who he was? It sure seemed like it, from the reaction he was getting. Nevertheless, the male just shrugged it off and held out his right hand.

"Makoto. Tachibana Makoto." The reply was in that gentle tone again, the one that made Haru want to melt into a puddle on the floor, but somehow he managed to put his bow gently to the side. He gripped onto his violin with his right hand and with his left, shook Makoto's.

"N-Nanase Haruka." Haru mentally cursed himself for the sudden stuttering, but Makoto didn't seem to mind. Of course his hands were trembling, even as he began to put away his precious instrument. It was _him._ The well-known pianist and singer, Tachibana Makoto. The thought rose a question in Haru's mind, however. What was he doing here in all of places? Some dingy park in the middle of the big city. It didn't make sense.

"I'm here on a tour," Makoto answered, and Haru jumped up from his crouched down position, looking up at the tall male with wide eyes.

'_How the hell did he just do that?'_ he thought, before adjusting his hoody and looking away. Makoto simply laughed, but didn't say anything else. All it did was make Haru even more awkward.

After a few minutes, the silence was broken, again by Makoto.

"I'd like to hear you play more," he said, and deep blue eyes rose to meet forest green.

'_Why would he want to hear my crap?'_ Haru thought, frowning slightly. However, all he said in the end was, "yeah," and shoved his hands in his pockets, sighing. He couldn't get over the fact that _Tachibana Makoto_ wanted to hear more of his tunes, despite how much the male hated them. It still made no sense. Nothing did at that moment in time.

"Well, I'll let you decide some other time, alright? I've gotta go." The brunet's voice pierced through Haru's ears, making him fully alert as curious sapphire watched as large, calloused hands reached into the inner pocket of a jacket. Eyes were still glued to them as a number was scribbled down on a ripped piece of paper. "I know it's weird but, I really like your stuff. Make sure you don't give this number out, 'kay?" That gentle smile again. It was enough to make Haru's heart skip a beat, but he took the paper and, not even glancing at what was written, shoved it into his pocket and picked up his violin case.

"Yeah," he replied in a deadpan tone, acting as if he weren't interested. Makoto gave a quick grin before waving and jogging off. Now Haru was alone with his thoughts. The thoughts that were whirling around his head, repeating themselves over and over and honestly getting quite annoying.

"Shut up," Haru mumbled to himself before heading back.

For some reason, the walk back to his apartment felt a little different. The piece of paper in his pocket felt like it was boring holes into the thick fabric, even though that was clearly just in Haru's head. The wind felt odd. It had a strange crisp to it that Haru hadn't noticed before. Nature's sounds surrounding him felt that little bit more sharp. He shrugged. Probably his imagination.

A loud mewl greeted Haru was he opened his door, a hungry kitten soon clawing as his shins as she was unable to reach any higher. Haru sighed in response, dropped his violin into his worn-out bed, and padded into the kitchen, Kimi trotting happily after him.

"Here." Haru shovelled some wet food into a bowl and placed it onto the floor, barely having time to pull his hands away before Kimi had darted forward and began to scoff the food down. "For how much you eat, you don't grow much..." the raven muttered as purring filled the room.

-x-

With his own stomach and the cat's hunger very satisfied, Haru was sat on his couch, staring at the blank screen of his old TV. He hadn't moved to turn it on yet. Instead, his head was full of the previous events of that evening.

_Why did Tachibana Makoto of all people give me his phone number?_

_Why does he want to hear more?_

_Do I need to write a new tune?_

_Why did he begin to sing along?_

_Was he thinking of taking the tune to make it his own?_

_Why did he have to be so good-_

"Shut up," Haru blurted out suddenly, and Kimi jumped from his lap and hissed in annoyance. The raven blinked, returning the glare his kitten was giving him, before reaching over and flicking the TV on.

None of the programmes really interested the violinist. It was the usual rubbish for a Monday night, he supposed. Random documentaries he had already seen five times before. Old films from over thirty years ago. Repeats of shows he didn't care about.

A rustling brought Haru out of his bored state. It was probably Kimi rummaging around in places she shouldn't be, but as he caught sight of a certain piece of paper, the male jumped off the couch and grabbed the kitten, holding her up. Why did he buy a cat, anyway? Oh. Nagisa. Of course. His eyes narrowed as he glared at the feline again, seeing a corner of paper sticking out of her tiny mouth.

Haru made a sound of disgust before prying Kimi's jaws open, ignoring the razor sharp teeth, and somehow managed to retrieve the paper.

Stupid cats.

Grumbling to himself, Haru came to the conclusion it would be a good idea to copy the number down somewhere in case a certain very annoying little kitten decided that paper was to be its next snack. He pulled out his phone and, after having to squint to see the smudged numbers properly, successfully added the contact. Which reminded him of a hyperactive blond that would probably want to know everything about what happened.

-x-

A rather long, irritating conversation later, and Haru was completely and utterly exhausted, which was a first. Chatting to Nagisa always took all the energy out of him. The violinist flopped back onto his bed with a heavy sigh, glad to finally have some time to himself. Kimi hopped up to join him, curling up next to his head and falling asleep.

Haru scoffed. If only it were that easy for him. Cats had a hard life, really. Sleep, eat, claw at things, eat some more, then just sleep for the rest of the day. Rolling his eyes and then closing them, Haru pulled a thick blanket over his slim figure and after a brief moment, found the slumber he had longed for.

-x-

"Haru-chan~!" Haru held back a groan as the usual sing-song voice of his annoying childhood friend rang through the small bakery, thankful that no customers were there yet to hear such a nickname. "How did last night go, huh?! Did you call him? Please say you called him!"

"No, I didn't call him. I fell asleep like normal people do at 3 o'clock in the morning," Haru snapped, glaring daggers at the blond. The expression didn't seem to affect Nagisa at all, as he was soon giggling again before rushing into the back room for God-knows-what. It was then that Haru let out a sigh, rubbing his forehead as it ached from lack of sleep. Thanks to Nagisa, he had gained a massive four hours sleep, and now had a pounding head as a reward.

The bell ringing was the signal for Haru to try and straighten up, but as soon as he the face of the person, he decided he wouldn't even bother.

"Good morning, Nanase-kun," the male with glasses said, and he pushed the spectacles up his nose, which seemed to be a bit of a habit.

"Reeei-chaaan~!" came the excited cry from Nagisa, the blond, as usual, running over and throwing his arms around the blue-haired male. Haru groaned.

"Can you be quiet, Nagisa? Not everyone can survive on barely a few hours sleep," the raven muttered but was ignored. It was barely 8:15 and Haru knew he had already talked way too much for it to be healthy. He was a person of few words, and wanted to keep it that way if possible.

Another chime from the door bell, and tired oceanic blue eyes lifted from the till to see who the new customer was. Haru's stomach dropped.

Fluffy yet wild brown hair, striking, forest green eyes, and looks that could seriously kill.

"Ah, Haruka, I didn't know you worked here?" that same, gentle tone spoke. Haru swallowed the lump in his throat, before realising something. Since _when_ were they on first-name terms? He had only just met the pianist last night! Maybe he was crazy. Yeah. Definitely crazy. Haru stared with lidded eyes, too exhausted to care past that.

"Yes I do," he mumbled as Nagisa finally peeled himself off a very flustered Rei. '_Oh, God Nagisa, please don-'_

"Oh my God it's you!" the blonde squealed, and Haru swore that if Makoto wasn't here he would have face planted the counter. "It's you! Haru-chan told me all about you last night!"

_'Nagisa stop i-'_

"He totally loves you already!"

_'Nagisa, I'm warning yo-'_

"I mean, he didn't exactly say those words but- Haru-chan? Why do you look so scary?!" Nagisa tried his best to look scared, but the expression was completely transparent. If Haru's glare could kill, he would be a serial killer. Multiple times over.

"Shut. Up." Haru's voice was deep, and a lot rougher than it had ever sounded before. He was tired, he had a pounding headache, yet Nagisa still seemed to think that squealing like a little girl was a perfectly good idea. Makoto, however, was looking as if he understood the situation a little, and put a hand up in half-surrender.

"I'll.. come back later," the brunet said, before placing a hand on the counter and leaning in to the fuming Haru.

"What?" Haru spat out.

"Play for me later."

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**A/N: Pissed off Haru, anyone? Sorry if he's a little OOC. I'm too used to writing as Makoto.**

** Gwynhafra: omgIloveyourstoryToMakotoWithLove. Thank you! Your review made my day, ehe.**

** Ashira23: I hope you enjoyed the chapter. :)**

**Reviews, yeah? :D I don't mind criticism, but no flaming please.**


	3. One Word

**A/N: I'm so so sorry this took forever to get written and uploaded. In winter I tend to get really sick for some weird reason, so I've been struggling to do much at all. But, here you go! I've hit a record with my word count, but I aim to get a bit more with the next chapter. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Free!, sadly.**

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**Chapter 3 - One Word**

_Play for me._

The words must have repeated at least 3 times in Haruka's head for them to finally be heard properly, and the raven-haired male blinked a couple of times before giving Makoto a nod. A gentle smile spread across the brunet's lips at the response and he took a few steps back.

"Same place as before, at 7," he said with a chuckle and before Haru knew it, he was gone again. He blinked once more, a little confused about what had just happened.

"Haru-chan has a date!" Nagisa chimed, earning an icy glare in return. The blond giggled, irritating Haru further. It wasn't a date, to him. It was a performance. A performance that just so happened to be in font of a pianist and singer that he had been rather fond of for a while. It wasn't the music itself; there were never overly complex melodies, harmonies, or even chord progressions. It was the way it was played. The emotion Makoto put into each note with both his playing and singing was something Haru could only dream of doing.

"Earth to Haru-chan?" Something prodded him in the shoulder and he grunted as his mind was roughly brought back to reality. Not being in the mood to deal with a hyperactive friend, Haru retreated to the back room. He leaned against the wall and let out a heavy sigh, wishing that he could be back home. Heart beating a little faster than normal, Haru grew confused. It must have been Nagisa's words getting to him again, though the male wouldn't show it. _It's not a date_, Haru told himself again and again.

_It's a performance._

When Haru eventually returned to the front room of the bakery, Nagisa was greeting some new customers in his usual friendly way, making Haru wonder how on Earth he managed that all the time. He shuffled up to the counter, deadpan expression as was normal, and attempted to get his mind off his date - no, performance - with Makoto.

The four hours that Haru had to work for his shift seemed to last for an eternity and a day. Each customer's order seemed more and more arduous, the male gradually growing increasingly tired. The fact that whatever God existed threw in a few tantrum-throwing children in the mix too exhausted him further. By the time 6:30pm finally rolled around, all Haru wanted to do was retire to his bed and sleep for a day. That, however, wouldn't happen just yet as the violinist had something quite a bit more important to do.

Pulling his coat on with a sigh, Haru made his way back home, though knowing it would only be a short visit saddened him a little. Kimi of course mewled in disagreement when Haru refused to feed her as much as usual, and for a reason unknown to him, he stood in front of his bedroom mirror, actually considering to change clothes just for Makoto. It was confusing why he was debating it seeing as most of the time Haru couldn't care less about what he looked like, but this was different. It was Tachibana Makoto he was meeting with, not some random stranger. Not that Makoto wasn't a stranger, because he was, but it didn't matter to Haru.

In the end, he did change his outfit. With a glance at his mirror, Haru was glad he had made that decision. A light grey, short-sleeved top that was just a little too big for him so it hung off his shoulders, exposing more of his neck than it shoulder. Dark blue skinny jeans that hugged his skin just right. And, just because it was chilly outside, Haru added a light blue hoody that he kept unzipped for now. It was cold, but not too much for him to feel the need to do it up. Then, the raven-haired male grabbed his violin and reluctantly his phone, and shuffled back out despite his body's protests of wanting to sleep.

Nerves began to flutter and rise in Haru's stomach as he neared the park determined as the meeting place, and they only worsened once he saw the figure waiting in the centre by the fountain. Tall, brunet, and a hell of a lot more handsome in real person than on the CD covers and magazine articles. Haru swallowed the lump in his throat before approaching. Makoto smiled that wide, gentle smile as he saw him.

"You're early." Haru almost scoffed at the comment, but held it back as his mind thankfully reminded him that this was no ordinary person.

"Yeah," he responded, tone emotionless as he perched himself on the edge of the fountain.

"I really like how you play," Makoto said and Haru looked away. He was obviously trying to just start a conversation, something Haru was never good at being a part of. He kept quiet – one thing Haru was good at. Makoto took the hint and chuckled, a gentle rumble in his chest that had Haru's stomach twist in odd ways.

"Do you record what you play? I mean, you compose, right? The way that tune sounded last night... it was really amazing! I'm surprised no record companies have snatched you up. Were you self-taught?" And so, Makoto rambled, and ranted. Question after question that Haru was too tired to answer. He fiddled around with the zip of his hoody as the pianist next to him spoke on and on, about things mostly musical but a random topic thrown in every now and then for good measure. It was only when the air fell quiet that Haru looked up to meet an amused, emerald gaze.

"... What?" he said in a tone much harsher than planned.

"Are you going to play for me or are you going to listen to me talk for the next hour?" Haru's stomach dropped. Oh. That's why he was there. To play, not to listen. He nodded and bent down to carefully pick up his violin case. He set it on his lap and proceeded to get the instrument out, fumbling every so often as his fingers seemed determined to tremble for some odd reason.

After almost dropping his violin countless times with increasingly louder laughs from Makoto each time, Haru finally managed to get himself ready. He stood, feeling as though it would allow him better posture, and inhaled a deep breath to force his nauseating nerves away.

_One, two, three, four..._

Haru began to play. To him, the melody wasn't quite right. It sounded off, as if a few notes were out of key, but he carried on. There was no point in stopping. Either way, Makoto would laugh at him for sure. A feeling of dread pulled at his heart, making his throat grow tighter.

Slowly, Haru closed his eyes.

And it helped.

The music emanating from his violin formed strings behind his eyelids, floating around in the darkness and creating patterns. His body felt at ease, watching the silky strands lazily swim around. It made everything simpler to do. His fingers no longer trembled as they flew across the metallic violin strings, hitting each note with perfect pitch. His right hand ceased to shake as it controlled the bow, gliding across the instrument and creating a beautiful sound.

It was his escape from reality.

Then, Haru stopped. The melody ran out, and as the silence around him began to deafen, azure eyes fluttered open to meet wide emerald. Makoto's mouth was hanging open a little, lips drying as he struggled to close them, eyes staring. Haru started to feel uncomfortable under the shocked gaze. The nerves returned with revenge, making him feel sick as he shifted his weight from one foot to another.

"That... was..." Makoto began, finally regaining the control of his voice.

"Awful," Haru quickly finished for him, hurriedly crouching down and putting his violin away. A hand on his wrist stopped him and he looked up through dark lashes.

"Don't say that." The voice caused Haru to freeze on the spot. He knew his music was awful, that was the whole reason each tune never got past the recorded stage. It was the reason Haru had always refused to let Nagisa take the CD's to a company to get them released.

_I'm happy where I am, why change?_

Makoto began to shift and fidget as though he was as uncomfortable as Haru – as if there was something he wanted to say but was to embarrassed to come out with it. Haru watched closely, trying to make his expression into one of assurance, but it probably didn't come out that way. Especially when Makoto laughed loudly, covering his mouth with a hand to try and stifle the chuckles that burst from him. Haru glared and it didn't change the situation as the brunet in front of him continued to laugh, though it finally did die down and Haru was met with the heart-melting smile again. He swore he could feel his own heart in his chest begin to turn into mush.

"Tomorrow." Haru cocked his head to the side.

"Tomorrow?"

Another bubble of laughter, another deadly glare.

"I'll meet you again tomorrow. At the apartment I've rented while I stay here." That was when Haru's heart decided to do a backflip and try to escape him via an annoying lump in his throat, and he struggled to make his voice work.

"Y-yeah." Makoto didn't seem to notice the tiny stammer, simply standing up to his full height and straightening out his clothes.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

-x-

Haru was nervous yet again. He had barely slept for the second night in a row and he was beginning to have an effect on his body, and most certainly showed on his face. Dark circles under his eyes were the most visible indicator of this.

That previous day, Makoto had handed him another slip of paper, this time a receipt from a local convenience store, with an address scribbled onto it. Haru knew the area reasonably well and the pair soon came to an agreement on a time that Makoto could fit into his busy schedule.

Now Haru was stood outside a tall block of apartments, much more fancy than his own, and the male gulped as he clutched onto the handle of his violin case. He shouldn't be here. Only rich people belonged in this area. He forced the negative thoughts away, unwanted as he pressed the bell for apartment number 18.

"Hello, Haruka?" came a familiar voice and Haru's eyes narrowed at Makoto's insistence on calling him by his first name. It was ignored.

"I'm here."

"Of course! Here let me..." There was a brief pause before Haru heard a soft click nearby. "There! Come in, I'm at number 15."

_I know,_ Haru thought to himself and grunted at the receiver. Makoto seemed cheerful, and Haru assumed that it was his usual attitude.

Before he knew it, Haru was in a large living area, completely bare apart from a grand piano and a couch. Sat at the piano was Makoto, looking rather happy. Haru's eyes wandered to the walls, a couple of scenic paintings dotted around on them, then over to the large window with a breathtaking view; something Haru would almost gladly give an arm and a leg for. If only he had the money.

Makoto took the silence from Haru as normal and played a random chord on his piano to catch the violinist's attention, and it worked. The sound was beautiful was it reverberated off the walls, echoing around the nearly empty room.

"Play."

That was all Haru needed. He dropped down on the fancy couch and he swore that was the quickest he had ever got his violin out. He didn't fumble or drop anything this time. The instrument was on his shoulder and Haru was as ready as he would ever be, staring at Makoto with a gaze containing a lot more emotion than was normal.

Then he played.

This time there was a difference, but Haru couldn't put his finger on what exactly it was. Something felt off, but it wasn't the notes being odd or the bow putting too much pressure on the strings, causing them to squeak and sound too sharp. It was positive.

"Carry on," Makoto said, and Haru did. He didn't close his eyes. He gazed at Makoto, watching as the brunet slowly brought his hands to the piano keys and pressed a chord that fit perfectly with the made-up tune from Haru, as if he had heard it many times before even though in actuality, he had heard it maybe once or twice.

Shortly after, Haru heard a voice. A familiar, gentle voice. It was copying Haru's melody, but simpler, and held much more emotion than he could ever manage in his life. It was amazing, and Haru had to stop. Makoto's eyes were closed, eyebrows furrowed in concentration. It faded as the brunet realised what had happened, expression turning from peaceful to concerned within seconds.

"What's wrong? Did you not like it?" he asked, head tilting to the side as if the words weren't forming a question enough. Haru looked to the floor.

"I don't know," the male admitted, letting his arms fall to the side, grip tightening on his violin and bow.

"Can you play it again? I have an idea." Haru wasn't sure if he wanted to continue. The tunes were his. They belonged to them. Makoto was only going to take them away, and some sort of ugly possessiveness tugged at his heart, calm gaze turning into a glare.

"You want to take it from me." The words clearly hurt Makoto and he visibly shrunk under Haru's stare.

"N-no! Haruka I-"

"Why do you call me by my first name, Makoto?" Haru snapped.

"Well... You do, so why can't I?" Haru grit his teeth at that comment. He had always been so used to calling everyone by their first name despite it being rude. But Makoto had a point.

"I'll call you Nanase then." Makoto sounded defeated and a little saddened by it. Haru huffed.

"No."

"Haruka, then."

"No!"

"... Haru?" The name wasn't the best, but it seemed Haru would have to put up with it. He sighed an d gave up.

"Fine." Makoto giggled – in quite a cute way – and went back to his piano, a wide grin gracing his handsome features. Strangely enough, the odd conversation had rid Haru of the negative thoughts that had plagued his mind, and now he felt and odd sense of happiness.

"C'mon, play again. I have some lyrics."

-x-

The pair had made a song. Numerous times the lyrics and melody were changed, the chords staying pretty much the same throughout. But eventually, Makoto was happy with the end result. The lyrics were far too soppy for Haru's liking, but he supposed that cheesy and romantic was something that came naturally to Makoto. He even came up with a name. My base, your pace. Haru didn't know who or what it was about.

"A friendship," Makoto said suddenly, startling Haru out of his thoughts. The brunet chuckled. "Sorry, habit."

_A habit?_ Haru thought. _He can read what I'm thinking, how is that a habit?_

"A friendship that I wish to have," he continued, tapping his chin with an index finger.

"Why?" Haru slowly began to put his things away, the violin case closing with a snap.

"Dunno, but wouldn't it be nice to have such a strong bond with someone?" Makoto laughed. "Ah, ignore me. I suppose I'm a bit of a hopeless romantic..."

Haru scoffed. Makoto had spoken the truth. From what he already knew, the pianist really was a hopeless romantic, blushing and acting like a schoolgirl at anything to do with love. It was embarrassing, but Haru couldn't bring himself to voice his opinions on the matter. Makoto was famous, after all. If he really wanted, he could very easily ruin Haru's life. It was sort of intimidating.

"You're scared of me?" Haru grit his teeth, hands balling into fists. _Damn mind reading._

"I'm going home." With that, he left. He didn't bother to wait for a response from Makoto, or to mutter a proper goodbye. He hurriedly exited the apartment and rushed down the stairs, and uncomfortable but warm feeling in his chest and stomach, and he didn't like it.

By the time Haru arrived back to his own place, his phone had been vibrating almost non-stop in his pocket, and needless to say, he was a little more than annoyed. Dropping his violin case onto his bed, Haru slumped into his hard, worn-out desk chair and Kimi jumped up onto his lap. Finally, he read through the messages that had been left.

**_I'm sorry!_**

**_Did I say something wrong?_**

**_Haru, talk to me._**

**_Haru!_**

**_Does it bother you that I call you Haru?_**

**_Are you really scared of me?_**

With each message, the odd twisting feeling in Haru's stomach intensified and turned to guilt. Despite only knowing Makoto for a short amount of time personally, the violinist already knew a lot about him – the whole world did. There wasn't a lot people didn't know.

**_Are you really scared of me?_**

The message repeated in Haru's mind like a broken record. It was mostly true. He was scared. Makoto held a lot of power due to being so well-known. The grip on his phone tightened, threatening to break the device. Kimi mewled and nuzzled Haru's hand and he couldn't stay irritated or scared or whatever the hell the strong emotion whirling around his body was.

The words of Makoto's text message still in his mind, Haru stood and flopped onto his bed, sighing as he sank into the mattress. The kitten followed, pawing at Haru's arm, asking for food, but by then, the teen was already fast asleep. He didn't know what the feeling in his heart was. It was warm yet cold, soothing yet unnerving. It filled his chest yet left him so empty at the same time. He wanted to scream. He wanted to hide away. It was all so conflicting.

One word formed in Haru's head.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed it and that things weren't too confusing for you, my brain's a bit frazzled from me being ill for so long.**

**As usual, read and review please, just not flaming or I'll.. I'll.. Yeah! Hm.**


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